Why is my dog losing hair and has rough skin under her neck?

It looks like Pokki has a superficial infection on the skin of her neck. If she frequently wears a collar, this area can be prone to infection if the collar is not kept clean and dry. Rarely, pets can be allergic to the nylon material but this is very uncommon. It's generally more related to the collar being dirty/oily or getting wet. Sometimes parasites can also cause this type of rash as well. At home you can try washing the area with an antibacterial hand soap and rinse well. You can then apply a dab of coconut oil to the reddened bumps. Rub it in well. If this does not help within a week, make an appointment with your vet. That being said, if you wish to go ahead and have her seen, the doctor will provide medications that will clear it up faster. I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

It is possible that the allergies and the collar are acting in combination to cause the hair loss. Other reasons are also possible. You may try switching her diet to the brand Royal Canin or Nutro as both of these are aimed at skin health. Starting her on an additional omega-3 fatty acid supplement may also be beneficial. If this does not help within a few weeks or if it gets worse, I have her examined by the veterinarian. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. First, make sure that Riley is on approriate flea control. Even if you don't see fleas on her, flea allergies can flare with only one flea bite. There are oral flea and tick products available from your veterinarian or topical products such as Vectra or Advantage are very effective against fleas. If flea control doesnt work, then I suggest a visit to the vet to find out what Riley may be allergic to that is causing her to bite and lose hair.

Lesions like this could be several things including allergies, skin mites, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications or recommend some bloodwork. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sorry to hear that Rylie's hair is not looking it's best. If she is developing bald spots I would be concerned about some underlying skin or metabolic condition going on. She likely needs to have her skin examined and potentially a few test (skin scrape to look for mites/bacteria/yeast, fungal culture, etc). A simple thing you can try at home is bathing her in an oatmeal based shampoo to see if that helps, as it won't hurt her. However if you don't see any improvement and/or her bald areas are getting worse, I would take her in to have a vet look at her as she may need medications.

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

This could be an allergic reaction or a bacterial infection. Those would be the two most common differentials. I suggest you get Callie to your vet for an exam. In the meantime you can try using this leave-on mousse to see if it helps until you can get an appointment. ( http://www.allivet.com/p-6673-douxo-chlorhexidine-climbazole-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx ) Hope this helps. Best wishes!